Overview

Q: How do I get started with DAR.fm?

A: Watch the video below for step by step instructions:

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Q: What does DAR.fm do?

A: DAR stands for "Digital Audio Recorder". DAR.fm is a personal recorder which records radio stations and shows to be played back at the convenience of the listener. Similar to how a DVR (digital video recorder) works with television DAR is a DVR for your radio.

Q: Why is a DAR useful?

A: DAR can be scheduled to record radio shows or stations which interest you. Once recorded you can listen from a PC, laptop, smart phone, internet radio or other device.

Q: How does a DAR improve radio?

A: On radio, broadcasters determine the schedule. If you're not in front of your radio you miss out. Using DAR you can record material that interests you and listen at a convenient time. You can pause, rewind or fast forward as you wish. Since the material is stored on the internet you can listen almost anywhere such as: a PC at work, a smartphone while commuting or an internet radio or Roku player in your home.

A:
Pro accounts can listen on smartphones, devices like Sonos and Roku, and download recordings for off-line listening when you have no internet connection. Pro accounts may also allow more shows to be recorded and more storage. Please see tiers available at DAR.fm/upgrade.

Q: If I want to upgrade to a higher tier can I get a credit for monies paid?

A: Yes. Please check the tier you would like to upgrade to at DAR.fm/upgrade and send the difference via Paypal to sales@dar.fm
for the pro-rata term. Please send an email to support with your DAR.fm account email and we will assure your account is upgraded.

Q: Can I pay with Paypal?

A: Yes, you can pay with Paypal.

Using DAR.fm

Q: How do I use DAR?

A:
Browse the show guide, station list or search to find radio shows or stations. When you find something you want, click the record button which looks like this: . If this is your first time using DAR.fm you'll be asked to enter an email address so a personal and secure account can be created for you. This is where your shows will be stored. An email will be sent when your recording is ready. For more information: please watch this YouTube video.

Q: I've forgotten my password! How do I log in to DAR.fm?

A: If you already have an account click here to retrieve your password. An email will be sent to the address with the password.

Q: How do I change my password?

A: Log in to your DAR.fm account and click on the "Settings" link in the upper right hand corner to go to your Settings page. From here you can change your password to whatever you want.

Q: How do I check my subscription level and/or my expiration date?

A: When logged into your DAR.fm account, click Settings. At the top of the Settings page you'll see your DAR.fm subscription level with the expiration date.

Q: My current subscription is on auto-renew. How do I cancel that?

A: Go to the Settings tab on DAR.fm to turn off auto-renew OR if purchases were made using Paypal log into your PayPal account to turn off recurring payments.

Q: How do I change subscription tiers?

A: If your account is on auto-renew, please cancel your current auto-renew via credit card or PayPal. Then you may purchase the desired subscription tier by going to http://www.dar.fm/newpricing.php. Please contact customer support for any assistance.

Q: How do I close my DAR.fm account?

A: Send an email to closeaccount@dar.fm and we'll be happy to help you out. Please be sure to include the email address that you used to sign up for DAR.fm with your request.

Recording Content

Q: I've searched but the station/show I want is not listed! Why not?

A: The goal of DAR.fm is to include all shows and stations. We've made it very simple to add shows/stations to the guide. You can make DAR.fm better by adding shows that you see missing. You can also edit shows/stations that have incorrect schedules or info. The more people get involved the better the guide becomes.

Q: Where are my recordings stored?

A: DAR.fm stores your recordings in secure, password-protected areas. Each user must have their own account.

Q: Does my computer have to remain on to record radio?

A: No, you don't have to leave your computer turned on. Once a schedule is setup, then DAR.fm is directed to store the material at your direction and will capture the recording at the prescribed time.

Q: How do I select a specific station to record a show from?

A: Search for the show by name to find the show page. On that page, click the "Sources" link from the left hand column and you'll get a list of available stations from which you can choose to record.

Q: How can I see a list of shows that I have scheduled?

A:
Log in to your dar.fm account and click on Scheduled to see a list of your upcoming scheduled recordings. The Scheduled page also includes a list of your completed recordings.

Q: How do I edit a scheduled recording?

A: Sometimes shows run past their scheduled broadcast time, so a regular recording may miss getting the whole show. To fix this, create a manual recording this way:

Log into your dar.fm account and click on Scheduled to see your recordings. Note the duration, start time and station of the recording you want to change.

Enter the station name or call letters in Search and click Go to see the station's schedule.

Look for the Record Later section in the lower right of the page. Select the "Time to start" and time zone to match your desired show. To add extra recording time, select your new recording length from the menu. For recurring broadcasts, make your selection for "How often" - most common are "Weekdays" for Monday - Friday shows or "Weekly" for shows that air once a week. Finally, add a name for your recording and click the Rec button.

To cancel your old recording job, click Scheduled again, and click the "Stop" link () for that recording.

Q: How do I stop recording a show?

A: Log in to your dar.fm account and click on Scheduled to see the list of shows. Click the "Stop" link () to cancel a recording.

Q: Can I start playing back a show while it is recording?

A: Yes. As soon as parts are recorded and stored they are available for listening. All DAR recordings are saved in 15 minute parts, so you can expect to start listening in about 30 minutes after the start of the recording.

Q: I got an error: 'station unavailable'. What does this mean?

A:
A small number of stations that DAR.fm attempts to connect to for
recording each day may be unavailable. This is often a temporary issue
due to maintenance by the station, an inoperable stream or other
interruptions out of DAR.fm's control. Typically the next day they
begin working without any new action on your part. Occasionally they
are terminally broken because the station has changed it's stream or
gone offline. If it's failing for multiple days you update the stream
URL by clicking "edit" on the station page and inserting a new MP3 or
AAC stream. You can test the stream by using it on iTunes: File: Open
Stream. If it plays on iTunes, then it will work on DAR.fm. If you
cannot locate a new MP3 or AAC, please email support@dar.fm with the
name of the station and we will try and update it.

If you're recording a show that is on multiple stations you can select
a different station to record it from. First cancel the existing
recording on the Schedule tab. Then search for the Show and go to the
Show page which lists the description of the show. On the right is a
link "Station List" that will list all the stations broadcasting that
show. Select one that you wish to record from.

A: It's designed this way so you can listen to programming while it's happening. And it's also friendlier for mobile streaming because the files are smaller. If you got a timeout error while streaming then you would lose the entire recording. Once you begin to play the first file all the other parts should play automatically. So, you don't have to click on each part individually to play it.

You can also play back your DAR.fm recordings seamlessly by downloading them to iTunes. Once downloaded, create a playlist for your DAR.fm recordings to enjoy continuous playback.

Listening to My Recordings

Q: How do I listen to a recording?

A: To listen from a PC log in to DAR.fm at: http://dar.fm and click the Play button in the top menu. Select the recording you wish to listen to and it should start playing. If you have trouble playing back your files or viewing the playlists please check to make sure that you have the latest version of Adobe Flash plugin installed. Also check to make sure that you do not have any browser plugins, firewalls, or software which might be blocking your connection.

Q: My recordings won't play. What can I do?

A:
First visit the Schedule tab and make sure that the recording in
question was successfully recorded. If there was a problem recording
it then it will not ever play. If it recorded successfully here are
some tips to get it to play. First make sure audio is working on your
computer by playing a Youtube video. Next try logging out and then
logging back into DAR.fm. Next make sure there is not flash or plugin
blocking software preventing it from working such as McAfee, Norton or
other flash blocking software. Active X Filtering needs to be off for the player to work properly.

Next try accessing the DAR.fm web site
using another web browser like Chrome or Firefox. Try another computer
to identify if there's an issue with a specific PC. Finally, here's a
link to the old player which sometimes will be helpful:
dar.fm/player_old.php (Pro accounts only)

Q: Can I listen to a show without recording it?

A: Yes, as you browse around DAR.fm, you'll see many shows with an "On Now" button next to the Record button. Those shows are playing now - just click the "On Now" button to listen.

A: To easily download part of a show using the DAR.fm web player, look for the download arrow that appears next to each recording part. Clicking the arrow will download that part as a MP3.

Full shows can also be automatically downloaded to your PC (like a podcast) using iTunes.
For these steps, click here.

Q: I don't see the download arrow that is supposed to be "next to each part" of my recorded shows. What can I do?

A:
The first thing to try is to log into DAR.fm with a different web browser. Another possible remedy is to adjust the settings of your security or anti-virus software which may be preventing the download arrows from appearing.

Q: How do I get the show segments to play in sequential order non-stop in iTunes or on my iPhone or iPod?

A: The easiest way to fix this is to create a new playlist in iTunes and add all of the show parts: Click the + symbol in lower left corner of iTunes to create a new playlist. Then highlight all the segments and right-click (or command-click on Mac) and add to the newly created playlist. Then sync the new playlist to your iPhone or iPod and play - all of the parts should then play automatically in order.

Q: Are there iPad/iPhone apps available?

A: Yes, check out the free app called RSSRadio Lite (FREE) or Downcast ($1.99) from the iTunes App Store.

Q: How do I store recordings?

A: DAR does not support long term storage of recordings. To store your recordings beyond 60 days, please download them using iTunes or your mobile device.

Deleting Old Files

Q: How can I tell how much space I have left?

A: If you log in at DAR.fm and click on Settings (in the upper right hand corner) you'll see a graph which tells you how much space you have left.

Q: How can I delete recordings to free up more space?

A: Click the "Play" button on the DAR.fm web site to go to the player. Click the button that says "Enter Delete Mode". You should see a check box to the left of each show. Select the show(s) that you want to delete by checking the box. Then, click the "Delete checked items" button. When you are finished, click the "Return to play" button.

For more delete options, including a single button to "Delete All Recordings", please see your Settings.

Station Guide (Adding, Editing, Deleting)

Q: How do I add a station which is not listed?

A: You can edit the guide yourself by going to http://dar.fm/suggest.php. This form will allow you to add or edit shows, stations, or broadcast schedules. If you don't see your favorite show you can add it with a few clicks.

Q: How can I find the streaming URL to add to DAR.fm?

A: Often these can be found on a station's website. Look for things like "Streaming Help" or "Listen on your own player" where many stations will post the stream. If you can't find it there, you can try contacting the station and asking for the streaming URL. If you're unable to obtain the URL this way, here are some other steps you can try.

Q: Can you remove my show or station from the guide?

A: DAR respects the intellectual property of others, and we ask our users to do the same. The Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 (the "DMCA") provides recourse for copyright owners who believe that material appearing on the Internet infringes their rights under U.S. copyright law. If you believe in good faith that materials listed on DAR infringe your copyright you (or your agent) may send us a notice requesting that the material be removed, or access to it blocked. You can submit the required information here.

Troubleshooting DAR.fm Issues

A: Most times the issue is an mistyping of your email address (maybe you have multiple email addresses) or password (is caps locks on?). Sometimes non-alphanumeric characters can interfere with logins on certain devices to use the password reset feature to set your password to something without unusual characters. Sometimes using another browser will help isolate what the issue might be so try Chrome, Firefox, or Safari.

Q: I'm not receiving emails that I'm expecting from DAR.fm. Why not?

A: If you're not getting show notification emails or password resets, it may be that spam filters are catching them. Please check your spam folders and be sure to mark any emails you find there from DAR.fm as 'not spam'. Another thing to try is to add DAR.fm to your contacts or 'whitelist'. For more detail for doing this with popular email services, see here

Q: My schedule page shows completed recordings but when I visit the Player on DAR.fm nothing will play.

A: Try logging out and then logging back in. The Player on DAR.fm requires flash to be installed. Please make sure Flash is installed and there are no browser additions that block javascript or flash. One useful technique is to try a different web browser such as Chrome or Firefox and use that to play your shows. If that still fails please try another computer. Often times this will reveal where the issue lies.

Q: The show that I scheduled did not record. Why not?

A: Occasionally a show may not record because its station is unavailable. This usually is due to a temporary interruption of streaming, but if it persists, you may need to find a different station from which to record. To do this, go to your Scheduled page, cancel your job, then search for the show and schedule again.

Q: I don't get anything when I try to download my recordings. How can I fix this?

A: By default, DAR.fm is set to only download shows recorded in the previous week. (If no shows were recorded during that time period, then there will be nothing to download.) You can adjust this option to allow downloading of recorded shows older than one week: visit the Settings area on DAR.fm, select the Downloading option and choose the option you prefer from the menu.

Q: The player on my mobile device doesn't show any recordings to play.

A: If you access DAR.fm on a mobile device and don't see any recordings to play (and you're able to play them on a PC), try logging out and logging back in to reset your account access on your device.

Q: I got an error: 'unable to load track information' while listening. How can I fix this?

Q: I am trying to get my recordings but all of them are not downloading (or I'm getting too many shows downloading and I only want the most recent ones).

A: Check the Settings area on DAR.fm. Here, you can you set the time period you want to download recordings from. The default setting is 1 week. If you want to download older shows change it to add more time (example: 4 weeks). After you click the Update button you'll be able to download the shows you want. Learn more about downloading shows to your
iPhone, iPad, Android, PC, or other device.

Q: In the Scheduled area the status shows "Completed" but I'm unable to play the show in the Player area.

A: Usually this means there's an issue with your web browser. Please
try these troubleshooting steps.

Watch the video above "How do I get started with DAR.fm?" to see how it should ideally work.

Try viewing your account from a different web browser such as
Firefox, Chrome or Safari and trying to play your shows. Make sure you
don't have software that blocks flash playback.

Try another computer if there's one handy.

Q: In iTunes the segments for a recording are not listed in sequential order.

A:
When you first open iTunes to access your recordings, the Podcasts screen by default is displayed "as Grid". In the View menu, select "as List" to display all of the recording parts. You may need to expand the view to see the full name of your recording parts - you can do this by clicking the "Podcast" heading and dragging it to the right. Then to see them in sequential order, click the "Release Date" heading so that the triangle-shaped sort indicator is pointing upward.

Q: Why do I have duplicate parts for the same show?

A:
Usually this is caused simply by having two recording jobs of the same show. Go to Scheduled and cancel the extra recording.

Q: I'm getting an error code 1006 on my Grace Digital radio when I try to connect to DAR.fm.

A:
An error 1006 means that login was unsuccessful. This can be due to
an incorrect email address OR incorrect password OR the account status
is not Pro which is required for use with DAR.fm.

Here's troubleshooting tips to get your radio working with DAR.fm.

Make sure you can login on DAR.fm AND play your recordings. Please watch the "how it works" video on the main page of DAR.fm if you need help in how to play recordings on DAR.fm. This will confirm that your jobs were recorded correctly and available for playback on your radio.

Verify that you're using the EXACT password. Long passwords or passwords with non-alphanumeric passwords are often mis-entered so use the Settings page on DAR.fm to change your password to something simply like 9876 or wxyz. Then test that password on the web and your radio.

Verify that you're using the full correct email address as your login. Often people have multiple email accounts and get confused about which one is their login on DAR.fm. Verify that your email address is spelled correctly.

Following the above steps very carefully will resolve the 1006 error
issue and get recordings playing on your radio.

Troubleshooting DAR.fm Apps

Q: I get an error when trying to login to the Android app, even though I've carefully entered my email and password. What do I do?

A: This is often caused by the Android feature that automatically capitalizes the first letter you enter for your password. If you type that first letter twice, then delete the first one, you should be able to log in normally.

Referral Program

Q: What is the DAR.fm referral partner program?

A: You encourage people to try out the DAR.fm - DVR for radio service. For every paying customer that signs up you will earn $20.

Q: How do I sign-up for the Referral Partner program?

A: Go to dar.fm/partner and follow the on screen instructions to sign up for a referral URL. Then insert that URL on your web site, twitter account, Facebook page or anywhere else inviting people to signup for a DAR.fm account.

Q: Is there a cost to sign-up for the Referral Partner program?

A: It is free to sign-up for the Referral Partner program but you must be a current Pro customer to receive a referral bonus payment.

Q: How much can be earned as a Referral Partner?

A: DAR.fm pays $20 for every paying customer referred to the service.

Q: How are referred customers tracked?

A: When you sign-up a custom URL is provided. If new users click that link then they are associated with your account. If they sign-up as a paying customer then it is credited to your account.

A: Try to login at DAR.fm. If it fails, then use the password reset option and a new password will be emailed to you. You can customize it to something you can remember in the Settings tab on DAR.fm.

Q: Where can a referral URL be used?

A: Referral URLs can be placed on any web site, Facebook page, Twitter account or anywhere that support web links.

Q: How will I know when someone signs-up?

A: An email will be sent to you each time someone signs up. Another email will be sent if they become a paying customer. We cannot reveal the identify of the customer, but you can track activity on your referral URL.

Q: When will I be paid?

A: Referral partners are paid monthly.

Q: How are referral payments made?

A: Via Paypal. You will need to setup a Paypal account to receive your referral payment.